In December 2009, the Canadian and Ontario governments approved a $4 million grant for a $6 million renovation and expansion of our Children’s Mental Health Centre on Benjamin Road. This centre is a safe and supervised place for 250 children with mental health problems to live and heal each year.

 

 

Our building was constructed 40 years ago and includes two additions built more than 25 years ago. While well maintained, our aging building has an inefficient layout, lacks space, needs infrastructural improvements and does not support modern mental health treatment approaches.

 

Our goal in this transformation is to build a new, functional “heart” through the centre of the building that will link our school, counselling, public and administrative areas to better meet our programming needs for our children and their families. While we are not expanding our student or resident enrolments, we are adding space to better serve our current population.

 

With this transformation, we will have an attractive front entrance and a more comfortable and supportive interior that reflect the professional excellence and optimism we offer our children. We will also have a resource area so families can learn about their child’s mental health issues and meet with our experts to receive the help our community deserves.

 

You can view our progress through our photo gallery.

 

Forty years ago, we chose this area as it was wooded and had no development around it. As the community has grown around us, we have continued to be good stewards of the forested area not just because we greatly value the site for its aesthetic and environmental benefits but because this natural setting provides a calming environment that supports our work with children. As a result, we worked together with the City of Waterloo, our architect and planners to create a layout that satisfies our operating needs and planning requirements while removing as few trees as possible. We are proud to say that through this three-way partnership we were able to create a tree saving plan that achieved just that.

 

In addition, we will use some of the wood from the removed trees in our lobby to enhance the aesthetics and serve as a reminder of the natural beauty that continues to surround us.

 

 

Our Campaign

You can support us in our efforts to help youth in our community.  

Should you have any concerns with our plans or construction activities, please feel free to email or call Chris Sellers, our Manager of Communications & Marketing at (519) 707-1958 ext. 1237.